Does a hacker protagonist immediately make a movie cyberpunk? Can a movie be cyberpunk if it takes place in the modern day?
I had an online argument once with someone who thought Sneakers wasn't just a cyberpunk movie but essential viewing for the cyberpunk genre. I don't consider Sneakers to be cyberpunk, or even a very good movie, so that argument was crazy to me. But maybe I was being too much of a gatekeeper; maybe other people consider Sneakers to be cyberpunk.
At least WarGames had a curious high schooler hacker rather than a bunch of old guys in suits hacking, but I wouldn't really consider either movie to be cyberpunk. Are they cyberpunk-adjacent though? Are cyberpunk fans likely to enjoy WarGames or Sneakers?
Here's a trailer for WarGames. You can watch it on Max. Fun fact: when Ronald Reagan watched WarGames, he asked his staff whether something like that could actually happen. They looked into it and came back to say "The problem is much worse than you think." This led to the creation of the first National Security Directive regarding computer security.
Here's a trailer for Sneakers. I'm not aware of any presidents having watched this movie. I don't think it's streaming anywhere either.
Cyberpunk tropes are, very simplified, an antihero who commits crime while working towards a morally grey personal goal. The crimes are against an overwhelming power, a corporation or government with seemingly endless resources and no morals. The hero uses subterfuge where needed, grace when possible, and force any other time. A specific aesthetic of neon, chrome, and bold RGB glow hide the vacuous morality of brutal hierarchy, with shareholders and board members above all - our hero is none of that, their chrome hiding a heart of gold. 4/4 on a 404 is the heart beat of the city.
War Games comes close. The hero committed some crime that looks like a plan, which triggers a response from an overwhelming force. The hero didn't use force but did hack and charm their way into key locations, like meeting Dr Falken. It feels like a cyberpunk movie but the lack of intention by the hero makes it feel like proto-cyberpunk. The flannel and tweed are wildly out of place with the expected fashion but the tech is cassette futurist. No memorable music to speak to.
Sneakers check most of those boxes. A fugitive, on the run for Robin hood style theft and wire fraud, find themself in the middle of a power play between private and public interests. The tech in question is the ultimate hacking McGuffin and the hacker hero is one of the only people who can use it to make things right. A mix of hacking and riz get used throughout and fan service is given to novel hacking like phreaking and tone identification. Each step of the way the heroes demonstrated an intention and execution that made them a tight knit group of elite freelance operatives. The fashion was lacking, like War Games, with a less overall cohesive aesthetic that is boiled down to wind breakers vs sport coats. The music was also not close to genre expectations.
Sneakers is probably best described as a cassette futurist take on the approaching cyberpunk trends. The answering machine/voice service is a subtle clue that shows the change between localized analog to remote digital services. It's the hand off into cyberpunk - so it doesn't look like it or have the aesthetic, but it solidly hits the main tropes.